The Letter of the Law
by BeatriceParadisio
Summary: In a dirty world filled with bribes, violence, and ruled by organized crime, there is never a dull moment for an ambitious prosecuting attorney. But when Shun learns that her new partner has links to one of the largest crime syndicates, she decides she will stop at nothing in order to discover what his game is. AU set in a modern judicial system with Akatsuki, etc.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Updates will be slow, but I won't abandon it. Also the chapters will be longer. This is obviously an AU, using the US judicial system as a base. That being said, for the sake of the story some things might be stretched as to how it would work in the real world. I hope you enjoy and please leave reviews with what you think!

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 **CHAPTER ONE**

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The sunlight trickled into my office as if some higher power was trying to fry me like a kid pointing a magnify glass at ants. It was the best analogy I could up with as sweat dotted my forehead and made my blouse stick to my arms. Why anyone in their right mind would build an office building with nothing but windows was beyond me. Maybe it was because us _ants_ needed to be reminded of our humble, insignificant places. Or maybe it was because some architect who was more fool than practical thought the design would be _sleek_ and _trendy_ without a thought of the poor slobs who got stuck on the westward facing side. Either way it didn't matter. It was my honor to have the horrible, blindingly hot office that took up a nice portion of the west end of my floor and all of the power that came with it.

Meaning: I was pretty high on the food chain when it came to powerful and important people.

Or at least I would be in a normal functioning society where law and order was respected rather than mafia brutes who liked to get power through drugs, sex, and violence. Instead I was probably ranked up there as people to kill once I proved to be too good at what I was doing. But hey, what's a stimulating legal career as a prosecutor without the added spice of death threats, bribes, and perchance of nervous breakdowns?

At least my job was never dull. It was one of the reasons I left my cushy partnership at a prestigious defense firm to take a job as a civil servant. Rather than getting paid the hugely insane salaries of the private sector, I was paid a measly six-figure sum to send the bad guys to jail for the Konoha County District Attorney's Office as a one of the county prosecutor's underlings. Call it a delusional sense of civic duty, or maybe a valiant hatred of criminals getting away with their crimes, but either way I had a nice little collection of investments of somewhat dirty money from being a bigwig defense attorney and was ready to earn a little more honest greenback. In short, I left luxury for the ideal of justice.

How naïve is that?

Well no matter what it was, the decision left me with the stupidest office in the entire county and a caseload filled with Akatsuki and Sound thugs who did everything from bribery, theft, money laundering, and, of course, murder. And boy did I love nailing their asses to long, parole-less sentences whenever a judge or jury wasn't paid off to look at anything but the black and white facts. It made sitting in my stifling office going over interviews, interrogations, and all the physical evidence less of a hell and more of a euphoric utopia of Justice with a capital J.

A buzzing noise broke through the silence in my little fortress of killer sunlight and legal documents. I couldn't help but sigh at the interruption, but such was life. Hitting my intercom button, I gave a hurried _yes_ before pulling up what had been a severe, sharp, professionally killer bob into a sweaty, messy ponytail of greasy blonde. God I hate the heat.

"Ms. Kita? I have the district attorney for you on line one."

The high-pitched voice belonged to the office's receptionist, Moegi. The wide-eyed and bushy haired girl had started not too long ago and had hopes of going to law school to help clean up the streets of Konoha. Ah, the innocence of youth. If she got even close to living out her dream she would quickly realize that the streets would never been "clean". There was always some dumbass willing to make a quick buck off the misfortunes of others. Hell I use to be one of them. And as such I came into my present job with the thought of just hurting the bastards who ran the game, not taking them down. That was, and always would be, utterly impossible.

Still, who am I to crush a kid's dream? The world would open her eyes to the futility of it sooner rather than later.

"I've got it, Moegi," I answered before picking up the receiver and leaning back for what was sure to be a long conversation.

"Ms. Senju, ma'am," I started, "how can I help you?"

"Where are you on that gang murder case, Shun?" Tsunade's voice rolled without a pause for any of the pleasantries common in the private sector. I personally enjoyed a brief _hello, how are you_ before jumping right into an attempted kidnapping by one of Konoha County's many gangs that turned into the murder of an unsuspecting bystander. But that was just me. Tsunade was more the type to barrel through with whatever task was at hand and let someone else clean up the mess her unique manners seemed to create.

"I went over the charges this afternoon with the county sheriff and the team of detectives that worked the case. I think we have a good chance of getting involuntary manslaughter on all of them, but anything more would be a stretch. That poor fool was just in the cross fire, nothing more."

Tsunade sighed heavily into the phone. "That's all we can get?"

"I can push for more, but I doubt it will stick. You know Orochimaru will have some of his best lawyers defending them. They're his elite four."

"I was hoping we had more on them. It's the first time they've slipped up in years."

I could understand Tsunade's frustration. It's not every day you actually arrest someone near the top of the food chain in one of the county's largest gangs, but with the amount of legal finesse that Orochimaru bought I would never ever be able to get them on anything more than manslaughter charges. The bastards.

"Do what you can. I'm going to see if Kakashi can get me more."

"He might be a good sheriff, but I don't think he's that good."

"Just do your part and I'll see to the rest."

A click marked the end of the conversation. No _thank you_ or _goodbye_ , just a hollow sounding _click_ followed by silence. And who said manners were a thing of the past?

With a sigh I leaned back, letting all the feelings of determination and righteousness mix with the inevitable _not guilty_ verdict that would come if Tsunade pushed for something we didn't have. She was the boss and I would have to do what she wanted in terms of the formal criminal charges we filed, but I definitely didn't agree with her charge-ahead-mindless-of-reality attitude she sometimes had when it came to the Sound gang or the various mafias, like the Akatsuki. Maybe it was because I had worked in that murky area between legal and illegal before joining the county that I saw how futile pushing could sometimes be. That or I was irreversibly cynical, but either way it often meant that I was butting heads with the county prosecutor while my fellow deputy district attorneys, Neji and Shikamaru, seemed to get nothing but praise. I think even the county sheriff, Kakashi, got a bit annoyed with my nay saying ways, but he had no choice but to play nice since I worked a third of the criminal cases.

The buzzing from my intercom came again, making me wonder why no one had built intercoms yet that had a nice dinging tone rather than the sound of an electric shaver being used on cement. "Yes?"

I could tell that my tone had been a bit harsh by the way Moegi hesitated. Oh well, the kid had to grow thicker skin sooner or later if she wanted to last in this whole law and order business. "Ms. Kita? It's six o'clock. You wanted me to remind you that you have a dinner meeting."

 _Shit_ , I thought, glancing at my greasy hair, blotchy skin, and bloodshot blue eyes in the reflection of my framed diplomas and licenses. The day had taken its toll on what had been immaculate grooming. My suit was wrinkled, my silk blouse limp and worn, and the little bit of make-up I had put on was smudge off by my hygienically-counterproductive habit of rubbing my forehead and face while reading. Great. I was going to make an awesome impression with the Suna DA tonight.

"Thanks, Moegi," I called, pushing the button to disconnect while grabbing my jacket and purse and making a beeline to the bathroom. There wouldn't be time to look fresh, but at least I could save everyone the trouble of having to smell me after an afternoon broiling in the sun. A splash of water later, I was out the door and heading to the county line to meet the team that Tsunade had just spent a better half of a year wooing into some sort of warm fuzzy feelings. How she managed to break into the good-old-boys-club of Suna was beyond me, but you had to respect a woman who had the cajones to force others to work with her even if they didn't want to. I was a prime example of that.

All hygienic concerns aside, I spent the nearly hour drive preparing myself for what was ahead. I had little information on what exactly Tsunade had discussed with the Suna people or what she expected out of this besides big cases and big convictions. That meant it had to do with either the Sound or Akatsuki. All the other gangs and wannabe mobsters were small fries when compared to the real deal. Besides, there were few organized criminal groups that worked outside of their _turf_ so to speak and crossed county and state lines. But if I had to guess which one we would be discussing tonight I would put my money on the Akatsuki, not because they were a much bigger problem than the Sound, but more because Suna had a very dirty history with violent gang led by Orochimaru that I doubted had completely disappeared over the past five or six years. Maybe it was even longer. Who knows, things sort of start blending together when the same old shit keeps happening over and over again.

Anyways, Suna's previous sheriff had quite the little friendship with the leader of the Sound, Orochimaru. They were buddy-buddy enough that the idiot actually had Suna police officers go out and aid in a Sound raid, which obviously was noticed pretty quickly. Long story short, the media ripped the leadership in Suna apart, the sheriff's mutilated body was found a few days later, and ever since the county has been struggling to eliminate corruption and dirty cops for their ranks. They elected a very young new sheriff, appointed a new, very young DA, and kept a whole slew of people around that had gotten to where they were by nepotism and bribes. So this was the messy little situation I was going to be walking into, hopefully with the company of Neji and Shikamaru. Tsunade never did confirm who else would be there, but I hoped to God that she didn't send me in alone.

I got to the restaurant relatively early, which was a good thing considering it was little more than a non-descript door underneath an unlit sign in a tiny, crumbling brick building. Now I've been to some hole-in-the-wall joints in my time, but this place took the cake. Had I not had GPS I doubt I would have even slowed when I came up to the building, let alone pulled into the tiny, and practically empty, parking lot. There was no sign of either of my colleagues' cars, nor anything I would expect a bigwig from Suna to be driving.

"If you're on time you're late, if you're early you're on time," I muttered to myself before grabbing my things and locking my cheap sedan and heading in. That is one thing I have never really felt the need to spend money on, fancy, flashy cars that just scream _rob me!_ Instead I go for investing in things that can't be stolen, mainly land, and let my city life look plain and boring, although not as plain or boring as the restaurant I was going to be dining at for the evening. It was the epitome of cheesy Italian décor, complete with checkered table clothes and dim can lighting. Well at least Tsunade wouldn't have to worry about any prying eyes and curious ears here since the place was completely empty, which didn't bode well for the quality of the food.

Being waved to any seat I wanted by the bored hostess who barely looked up from her phone, I did what any self-respecting woman would do when alone in a run-down, dingy old restaurant. I took a seat against the wall that commanded a view of the entire room. Was there a strong likelihood that someone unsavory would come in here and see me as a target? Probably not, but when you didn't know the area and you were alone you took precautions anyways.

It was another forty minutes before anyone but the waiter came into the restaurant, leaving me with an empty water glass and feeling a bit annoyed at how late the Suna people were. You would think for a first meeting they would at least be on time, so they only logical explanation had to be that their county ran on a different time zone than Konoha. Otherwise they would have been nothing more than pompous, disrespectful assholes who wasted other people's time like it didn't matter. And I would hate to think poorly of people I never had met and was supposed to be working with by decree of the all mighty and powerful Konoha DA.

No matter what their excuse, I slapped a small smile on my tired face. I recognized the woman, Temari, from a bar association gala a few years earlier. She had only recently gotten her license, but due to the nepotism that seemed entwined in the very infrastructure of Suna County she had already been named county attorney despite her inexperience. I swear to God, life _must_ be rough for people with the right last name and other family connections. I wouldn't know the burden they bear being just a nobody who made a name for herself through blood, sweat, and more blood. But I digress.

I watched them be directed my way by the hostess, noting that Temari looked a good deal older than when I last saw her as well as taking in the two males that came with her. I knew one would be the district attorney, Gaara, and the other probably the county sheriff, Kankuro. At least that's who Tsunade made it sound like I would be meeting. Based on experience, I had my money on the small, lean one with red hair and dark rings under eyes to be the DA while the more solid, grim looking brunette to be the sheriff.

I stood when they got to the table, extending my hand and giving each a firm shake. "Shun Kita, deputy district attorney."

They each returned the shake with firm, confident grips, the smaller of the two introducing himself as the DA while the other, stockier man turned out to be the sheriff. Am I good or what?

Gaara, although unforgivably late, seemed ready to get to business. There was no apology, no polite _glad you made it_ or _how are you today_ to fill the gap from introduction to talking about law and the difficult part of maintaining it. Instead he locked on to me like a predator seeking out prey and dug right in.

"We have come to discuss doing some business with your office," he started, his voice a bland monotone despite the intensity that seemed to hide behind his sleep-deprived eyes. It was no wonder he lacked sleep, he looked barely old enough to even have graduated from law school let alone be appointed the county's defense attorney. It made me wonder just what the state of affairs was over in Suna.

"Alright," I answered, taking my time and gauging the people that joined me. I didn't like that I was alone, although I had figured after about thirty minutes of waiting that Shikamaru and Neji probably weren't coming to this delightful meeting. But even more than that, I didn't like not knowing what to expect. Tsunade had been very vague about this entire gathering, as if she was afraid someone would overhear the details and leak them. Or maybe the details weren't quite legal. Although that wasn't typically the DA's style, it would make sense why she would send me in. I was the only deputy defense attorney with any background in things that existed in that murky grey area of legality.

"You seem hesitant," Gaara stated in his monotone, never once taking his pale green eyes off me.

"I was under the assumption that my entire team minus the district attorney would be here." It was a small half-lie. Sure I _had_ actually assumed that my colleagues would be joining me, but I was well aware that my assumption was false. This was nothing more than a fancy little ploy to get my new friends to talk a little more so I wouldn't be caught off guard when it came time to speaking on behalf of Tsunade and the county.

"Tsunade said she would send us her best. I don't require more than that."

I noted the casual use of first names by the young Suna upstart, making me wonder just how much time our dear ol' DA had spent talking with this kid. Because that is what he was; a kid. I don't care how smart or how gifted you were, in this world you needed experience to really know what's what. Otherwise you would miss the crucial, little things that meant the difference between a bad guy getting his comeuppance or walking away scot-free.

But I was nothing if not professional. You didn't make it working for shady businessmen with even shadier deals if you blurted out your every thought like some liquored up college girl. So instead I went with politely noncommittal. "I suppose _the best_ would depend on what sort of work you're looking for support on. Shikamaru is a better analytic and Neji is superior at detecting and exposing lies."

"I asked for tenacity and grit, though, not analysis or finding deceptions," Gaara answered.

"Then I suppose the only other question is what case you are looking to transfer to our jurisdiction?"

Temari and Kankuro exchanged a glance that spoke louder than words. Maybe they had expected a bit more wining and dining prior to the nitty gritty business, or just that Gaara would be running the show. Well kiddos, I just don't work that way. I hate these stupid dinners were everyone acts like either their best friends or to put on the macho act only to steal your prime cases using the guise of _stronger evidence_ for crimes committed over county lines (also know as getting the glory for nailing the sucker using the work you've already put into the case), or they want to pawn off a dud and let you deal with the stinker of a case with all the death threats and sleepless nights that come with it. Obviously Tsunade was in the mood to pick up the slack of the wonder kids here under the guise of _relationship building._ There was no way she would even think of letting them touch something of ours with their lack of experience. So that just left talking about what stupid case I was going to be working for the little Suna newbies and how much grunt work and time it was going to take me.

"Every county has been working on taking down the Akatsuki hierarchy," the sheriff answered quietly, his narrow eyes darting from side to side as if he expected someone else to have entered the restaurant and be listening to our conversation. "We have some good leads, but they all point to Konoha to where the crimes will actually occur."

"That sounds more like you need our sheriff," I started when a familiar face meandered up to the hostess. "Ah, and it seems he just arrived."

Kakashi came our way, his prematurely grayish-white hair sticking up in all directions, giving away his workload and stress despite his apathetic expression and bored body posture. I have never met a man that saw as much danger as our county sheriff did and still managed to feel secure enough to walk the speed of a turtle with his hands in his pocket. It was almost as if he was daring some Sound punk to attack him. Of course that would be the last thing the kid probably would ever do, but most of the state's gang members were idiots who thought they were invincible.

"Sorry I'm late," he started, flopping into his seat as carefree as he walked, "a little old lady asked me for directions on my way here."

Ah, good old Kakashi. That man always had an excuse for his habitual inability to read a clock. It was something of a joke within some departments, the employees writing down his halfhearted attempts to apologize for being late. I had to admit there were some pretty outrageous ones that would have made me laugh if they hadn't been used as the reason I had to get a judge to call a recess because my witness hadn't shown up yet. At least for this meeting he was only about an hour and a half late, which is practically on time by his standards.

"So, just to be clear," I started again without waiting for Kakashi to settle in or for our new allies to have time to judge our sheriff, "you have information on some actions that will be happening in our jurisdiction. And you hope to have us make the arrest and then what?"

"From what our agents report we expect at least four of the members of the leadership will be directly involved in Konoha," Kankuro answered. "It's your turf so therefore your arrests, but if you manage to take down all four we want to prosecute two of them for crimes they committed in Suna earlier this year."

"I can't agree to that without knowing what the sort of crimes they committed, what evidence you have, and what they will be doing and the sort of evidence we will have. If our goal is to get guilty verdicts and strict sentences those arrested would have to stand trial for the crimes we have the best cases for. Otherwise we risk them posting bail and leaving the state, if not the country."

"We understand the risks," Temari answered, "but this is a non-negotiable item."

I could see from the set of her jaw and the way her eyes hardened that she was angry. Not the sort of hot, fiery anger that came in the heat of the moment, but the slow burning, residual stuff that simmered beneath the surface long after the wrong occurred. It was that anger that made her take the hard-ass approach with me despite my reputation for making people bend to my will. There was a reason I had a lot of zeros sitting in a bank account from when I worked for the other side. I knew how to use words as weapons, and Temari's very black and white, set in stone statement felt more like an invitation to challenge her versus a permanent roadblock. Besides, I wasn't interested in losing a good case just for some little girl's grudge.

I gave the Suna team a small smile and stood. "I thank you for this evening, but I don't think Konoha is interested in what you're offering."

"What?" Kankuro sputtered, his eyes growing wide.

"This has all the flavoring of a personal vendetta and I'm not interested in being attached to a deal that would see two men not receive the justice they deserve because of it."

"So you would rather they never be caught at all?" Gaara asked. His voice was quiet and calm, acting as a complete contrast to his sheriff's blunt loudness.

"I'm sure we have agents with similar information. I trust in Sheriff Hatake to provide me with the best possible evidence."

Kakashi gave me a hard look, the kind that I had seen him use on criminals during interrogation. It was the sort that could see beyond whatever mask a person was wearing and sense their intentions, including my bluff. Thankfully, he wasn't the type of man to act rashly or against the team he represented. So rather than give away my little game he stood with me and gave a halfhearted goodbye.

The effect was nearly immediate. Temari stared blankly, Kankuro swore under his breath, and Gaara acted like the leader that he apparently was despite his age. Standing, he moved just slightly towards us, giving the signal that Konoha was in control, but not so much that he would completely chase after us. It was fine maneuvering for someone so young, forcing me to view him with a tiny bit of respect.

"I agree that it is more important that these criminals are convicted than achieving a personal sense of justice. Suna is in need of some good and if we can give them two of the men that terrorized our cities I would like to do it. But if you're case is stronger after you apprehend them you can charge them."

I turned and gave the redhead a small smile. "Then we will gladly take your information and give you the men you want if you have a strong case."

Gaara gave a small nod before glancing down at his companions. "We will send an officer over tomorrow with the details."

Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets with a nod and made to leave. I followed suit. "Temari, we'll be in touch."

I followed Konoha's sheriff out, digesting the night's events. It wasn't every day that one of the other big counties made such big deals. Sure there were the one-sided ones, the sort that was taken in some political ploy of the higher ups, but all in all to give up information that could lead to the arrests of four Akatsuki leaders was a generous act. Even with us sending two of them to Suna for prosecuting, getting convictions on two would be a huge feather in the DA's cap not to mention a nice bargaining piece for extra funding in the next fiscal year. And who knows? Maybe we would be prosecuting all four. Glancing over at Kakashi, I could only hope that his boys were up to the task. If they got me just a piece or two of decent evidence we would be sitting pretty.

Taking in a deep breath of the cool night's air, I let myself smile. A chance to get my hands on the Akatsuki? Now this is the sort of case I had been waiting for.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you amgs, itachiluv89, and Laffy50 for the reviews! Sorry this took so long to get up. Enjoy!

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 **CHAPTER TWO**

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Itachi Uchiha stared out the window of his thirty-eighth floor office suite, letting the steady stream of cars and pedestrians blur into little blobs of color far below. He had known this day would come. That at some point his actions to support the only family he had left would lead to his little brother making one of those life-changing bad decisions. As much as he tried to deny it, he knew it was inevitable, that someday the allure of money and growing up with a big brother working for known mobsters would blur the ethical and legal lines enough that Sasuke would cross it. He just hadn't known that it would happen so early in his brother's budding law enforcement career. Nor had he counted on the extreme guilt and shame that his brother's thoughtless actions would bring him.

It was another hot day, the heat creating wavy lines against the metallic building across the street. Itachi stared at them, trying to ignore the constant image of Sasuke smiling up at him, his eyes bright and happy. How long had it been since he had seen his brother look happy? Had he smiled, _truly_ smiled, since their parents' death?

The guilt continued to build as he thought about his parents. He was supposed to protect and care for Sasuke. That was his job as the older brother. He had thought he was doing the right thing taking an offer from the Akatsuki. It had seemed like the only way to support and protect his brother, but in the end it probably paved the way for his shortsighted sibling to make a deal with a snake; a very dangerous snake who happened to be enemies with his employers.

 _The idiot_ , he thought, moving away from the window and returning to his large, heavy oak desk. He tapped his pen on the draft of the contract he was supposed to be editing. He should focus on work, forget his brother, and carry on like he had been. He hadn't even seen or spoken Sasuke for nearly a decade, his younger brother making it clear that he hated him. But that didn't relieve him of his burden as the eldest, or dampen the love he felt for his sibling. Sasuke was the only family he had left and he was going to be in some very deep trouble if things were left as they were.

Glancing down at the contract, he knew what he had to do. The Akatsuki had served their purpose and he had more than repaid his debt to their leader. His true duty remained with the last of his family and the city that he loved.

Itachi didn't give another thought as he grabbed his suit coat, briefcase, and keys and rushed from the office. His secretary called out after him, but he just gave her wave indicating that she should make his excuses for him. It was better for everyone if no one knew where he was going. If they did, well there were certain members of the mafia that were dying to have the honor of sending him to hell and this would be the perfect excuse to do so. He had no intention of giving them that chance until he had already done what he could to make things right for his brother, which meant a drastic change in tactics on his part.

The afternoon traffic was thankfully light. Itachi's patience seemed to be growing thinner as each minute passed. He had no time to be sitting in a traffic jam as he cruised through the city, not when his brother's wellbeing was on the line. No matter how much he had done for the Akatsuki he knew that there was nothing he could do to stay their hand when the boss decided that someone needed to be _taken care of_. His level of influence ended once they decided to no longer keep things legal. But if he could just meet with his old contacts and just maybe get a position where he could nudge Sasuke away from danger, well that was worth putting himself at risk.

And he would be at risk. There was no question about that. Just looking up at the county courthouse as he parked, with its statue of Lady Justice and her scales was enough to remind him of what was in the balance.

With a deep breath, he stared at his hands still gripping the wheel. He needed to contact Tsunade, the county DA, and he needed to do it without the Akatsuki higher ups knowing about it. He knew that his employers monitored his cell phone. They really made no secret about it, making it completely useless for personal use and more than useless for what he was about to do. Pay phones were also out. There weren't many left after the advent of mobile phones, making them far less secure for secretive calls than they once had been. His only option was to personally see Konoha's leader when it came to upholding the law and give her something so good she couldn't refuse his request.

"She'll bite," he told himself, sliding out from his car with a cool, collected look that he barely felt. Turning away from Justice's scales, he moved towards a small sandwich shop that was a known spot for the civil servants that worked in the government building next door. He hoped to spot the DA's assistant, Shizune, and have her relay his message that he wanted to meet her boss in private. He couldn't risk waltzing into her office without a reason, not with so many spies for both the Akatsuki and the Sound lurking in the hierarchy of the government. No, he needed as much discretion he could get, if only to gain a day or two extra to prepare for the danger he was about to be in.

Itachi did his best to not think about what would most likely happen to him as he slid into a chair on the far side of the café. From his corner he watched the people who rushed in and out without sparing him a glance. Here he was just another suit not worth noticing. That was all the better for him. The only attention he needed was from the DA's assistant, Shizune, if she ever showed up. The crowd began to thin, leaving Itachi with the sinking feeling that he was going to have to be more aggressive and requesting a meeting with Konoha's DA. He was just about to get up to leave when a familiar blonde strode through the door.

 _Shun Kita_ , he thought with a small smile. She had once worked for a money-hungry worm named Gato, making all of his businesses that violated numerous antitrust laws completely legal. That alone was enough to make him take notice of her abilities, not to mention the numerous times they had been seated across from each other at some mediation or during the proceedings of litigation. He respected that she never used her femininity to provoke rulings in her direction, like so many other female attorneys working in the private sector. In fact, her trim figure only seemed to be accented more by her well-tailored, but modest suits than the more form-fitting and revealing pieces her counterparts often wore. Maybe it was because her clothing forced the male attorneys facing her pay attention to her words and the confident, commanding arguments she made rather than just focusing on her breasts. He wouldn't be surprised to find that his image of her as a tall, powerful woman had more to do with her confidence than her actual height and strength.

Settling back in his chair, he stared at her, waiting for her to turn from the counter. It took only a minute or two for her to grab a sandwich and pay, but it felt like an eternity to him. Each heartbeat was one closer to potentially his last, while each second that ticked away was one less for his brother. The Akatsuki weren't known for being kind those that worked for the Sound, and were even less civilized to traitors. No matter what happened here today, one or both of the Uchiha brothers would be in some very real, very serious danger.

Morbid thoughts wouldn't help him do what he needed to do to protect Sasuke, though. So instead of focusing on the horrible outcomes, he cleared his throat and gave Shun Kita a small nod as she turned from the counter. From the look on her face, he was the last person she expected to see, her blue eyes growing wide then narrowing into the predatory stare he had come to expect from her.

"My, my, what are you doing this far downtown?" she asked, taking a step toward him, but being sure to keep a respectable distance that wouldn't allow anyone to think they were meeting.

"I was hoping to speak with Ms. Senju," he answered softly, hoping that no ears were tuned into their conversation.

"Is that so? Well, you would be better off trying her office than waiting around in a deli."

"I was also hoping for discretion."

Kita tilted her head a bit, her sharp blue eyes holding his without any of the shy nervousness that many female counselors looked at him with. He had a reputation for being cold, calculating, and aloof. It made him seem utterly unapproachable by anyone who didn't have enough confidence in their own abilities playing the game of law. Even outside of work, the only women who seemed to approach him were the gorgeous kind that had an impenetrable wall around their hearts that was as thick as their makeup. They wanted money, prestige, and to leech off the power of their man, not companionship, trust, or deep, unadulterated love. Not that he thought much about love or a future spouse. He had enough on his plate trying to raise Sasuke, and, with how things were going now, protecting his brother would probably mean his death. But still, he could appreciate a woman who didn't feel the need to flash her skin or really even fix her hair and still be able to meet his eyes without the slightest sign of wavering.

"Why? We don't have any of your clients currently under litigation," she finally said.

"It's of a personal nature."

Again, she stared at him, her eyes locking his as if she could read all of his secrets there. Itachi was sure that her ability to intimidate without a word was part of what made her one of the best in their little law bubble and had made her, if what he heard was correct, an unseemly large salary when she worked for Gato. Whatever had made her leave the private sector for public service no one knew, but it was a huge score for the county and a huge loss for anyone out looking to make a sleezy, underhanded fortune.

"Well, then, I will leave you to your private, personal things and go about my own business," Kita said with a curt nod after breaking her focus. "I'm sure I will be seeing you sooner rather than later, Uchiha. Try not to be distracted by whatever it is that's crawling under your skin. I do hate not having a challenge."

Normally, the clipped, polite insults from Kita would make him at least crack a small smile, if not an appropriate retort, but today was different. The lunchtime rush was over and the likelihood of meeting anyone else from Tsunade's office slim. Itachi knew that he needed to act on whatever little opportunity he had.

"Wait, Ms. Kita," he called out as he stood. "Could I be so bold as to ask you for a favor?"

As expected, Kita's eyes widened in surprise. You didn't ask other litigators for favors. Especially not when they would always be on the opposite side of the room from you. But he was desperate. If he could have just marched up to Tsunade and spoke to her plainly without fear that the powers that always loomed over him wouldn't kill the only person that mattered to him immediately, he would have. But he was forced to be cautious and secretive, leaving Kita his only chance.

"Now, Mr. Uchiha, that is a very, _very_ tempting question. Unfortunately, I doubt that any favor I would perform for you would actually be worth the payout. Your… affiliations, well they have a tendency to grab ahold of people who are involved with their people. As I'm sure you can understand, I have no interest in the association."

Itachi nodded, his head hanging slightly. She spoke the truth. People affiliated with the Akatsuki, although well paid and influential, were ostracized from the rest of society. People were afraid to get too close just in case they made too much of an impression and were suddenly "asked" to do a favor for the mobsters. It made him unhireable by any outside private agency just as much as it made him practically untouchable by the law. The double-edged sword of crime never ceased to impress and frustrate him.

Still, he would not fail. He made a promise to his parents and this was the only way that he could see that he could keep it. "Again, this is a personal matter. All I would need from you is to ask Tsunade to meet me in courtroom 4B in thirty minutes. If you do this I would owe you more than you know."

He thought he had kept his voice cool and calm, but by the small upward flick of her lips, he knew that he sounded as desperate as he felt. Well, he sounded as desperate as an Uchiha could sound, which didn't really do justice to just how anxious he actually was.

"Itachi Uchiha begging. Now this is something that I didn't expect when I decided to grab a sandwich."

"Life is full of surprises."

"Surprises are rarely good."

"I know, but I truly do need to speak with your boss, and soon."

Kita gave him one last hard look before nodding. "Alright, Uchiha, I'll bite. Consider your message sent and you owing me a debt. And believe me, I won't forget to collect."

"I would be very surprised if you did."

She gave him a large smile, one that almost reached her eyes, before she turned and made her way back to the county office building.

Itachi watched her go, relief and fear filling him in equal parts. He gave her a few minutes before leaving the deli and heading towards the courthouse that sat next to the government building. It was not every day that he went there without a case to defend, but it wasn't completely unreasonable for him to show up, book a few mediation rooms, and do the sorts of things that grunt lawyers and paralegals often were sent to do. It was the best idea he could come up with to keep flapping tongues somewhat quiet and his true purpose a secret until his plan was fully realized. Which he hoped would be an easy sell as the door to the courtroom opened, revealing a frowning middle-aged woman with thinning blonde hair and a reputation for having the stubbornness and forcefulness of a bull.

"Ms. Senju," he said, standing and taking Konoha's DA's hand. "Thank you for meeting with me."

"It's not every day that you contact my office, Itachi, or say that you have something urgent to discuss."

"Yes. Is there some place private we can talk here? Somewhere without coms recording our conversation?"

The DA nodded, motioning for him to follow her. Their steps echoed down the wide marble hallways with an eerie hollow sound that made his chest tighten. He had been in this building many times before defending his mafia employers, but never had he found the sound of his own steps to be so foreboding. It was as if the harsh slapping noise of his shoes mixed with Tsunade's imperiously clacking heels was a strange death march, taking him to a path that could only end poorly for him. In his heart, he knew he _was_ freely choosing to pursue something that would make him some very powerful enemies, but to not do so would mean a raw, bitter guilt eating at him if anything happened to Sasuke.

"In here," the gruff woman said with a wave, ushering him into one of the many rooms reserved for mediation. He didn't hesitate taking his normal spot near the head of the table, Tsunade following suit. "Now, what is it that we're doing here?"

"I'm here because I would like a job with you."

Silence met him, the older woman's mouth hanging open slightly. "You would like a _what_ with me?"

"A job."

"A job. A job doing what?"

"As one of the deputy DAs. I know you have the funding available to hire another assistant attorney. Hire me."

Again, the district attorney stared at him, her hand reaching into her jacket and pulling out a flask. He watched her take a long draught before she met his eyes again, this time her look hard. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm the only reason the Akatsuki get off and I can be sure that you have the evidence you need to make convictions stick."

"That sounds like a conflict of interest. I can't use evidence you provide and then have you on my team as part of the prosecution. It would be inadmissible."

"Not if an anonymous tip put your men in possession of some very incriminating documents, followed by my help in the prosecution."

"And what about an ethical conflict of prosecuting a former client?"

"Technically, I'm an independent contractor at an independently owned defense firm and I pick and choose my cases as I please. While I won't be able to be involved with some higher member's prosecution, I can help with others. And I can help you behind the scenes with the ones I can't ethically touch."

Tsunade leaned back, her fingers rapping on the table while she thought. "What do you get out of this? We can't pay you much. We can't even really protect you if you're in some kind of trouble."

"I'm not looking for money and I'm not in trouble. But I have started to regret the strained relationship I have with my family. And that strain was due to my job. If I hope to ever fix this I need to break away from my former clients and work for the same team as my brother," he answered, letting a small lie cover the core of his true purpose. It was better for Tsunade to think him looking for a family relationship than out his brother as a dirty cop. If the goal was to keep Sasuke alive and eventually get him out of the clutches of the Sound, it meant that his brother needed the protection of the county and a career that took him leaps further than an affiliation with a gang could.

"You mean Sasuke?"

"I do."

"Kakashi says he hates you with a passion."

"I'm surprised I've even come up. Sasuke said I was dead for all he was concerned."

"Psych evals," Tsuanade replied with a shrug. "Nothing stays dead when a day of psych testing is involved."

"I suppose not," Itachi answered, keeping his expression neutral despite the hope that was blossoming that the notoriously hardheaded DA might actually be warming to the idea.

"So you hope to win your brother's love by showing him that you're fighting for our side?"

"That, and help his career by making him a key investigator whenever possible," he answered honestly.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, crossing her hands in front of her face. "I see. If I'm going to consider this I want a show of what I can expect to get from you besides strong court presence. What is the sort of information that you could provide?"

Itachi let the corners of his mouth turn, relief washing over him. He had her, and now it was just a matter of sealing the deal. Leaning forward, he met her eyes. "What do you know about the Akatsuki's arsonist, Deidara?"

Tsuande smiled and leaned forward. "It's funny that you should mention him," she started, silently signing off on his position and starting what most likely would be the last thing he would ever be able to do for his little brother.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to my wonderful reviewers again! Laffy50 and itachiluv89 you both rock. I got a little stuck in this chapter, but finally settled for this just so I can move on to chapter four. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

I sighed looking in the toothpaste speckled mirror in my tiny apartment bathroom the familiar feelings of annoyance and frustration swirling in my head like the opening act to a throbbing headache. It wasn't so much for the fact that my mirror and vanity were dirty, although the maid I kept back when I was racking in the dough had been a definite plus to working for a crook, but it was because I had been politely asked by the DAs assistant, Shizune, to _look presentable_ this evening. Like I was some sort of awkward teenager who thought orange socks went with purple pants and a maroon sweater. Sure, I never looked as gloriously smooth as Neji or even as simply casual as Shikamaru, but if it wasn't for the steam room quality of my office I would normally look very _presentable_ on any given day.

But alas, my slow cooker of a workspace did nothing for the state of my hair, clothes, or attitude when it came to putting myself together. And to be honest, I was happy for the excuse to not care. It wasn't like the county's reputation was based on how good looking their prosecutors were.

Still, tonight was one of those nights that made me question my choice to leave the private sector. At least when I worked for Gato I was never forced to attend stupid political events or, and I shudder, _balls._ But when you're working for the county and your DA wants to rub elbows with the powerful and "help" my budding government career along, you really didn't have the choice to stay home in your sweat pants, eating ice cream from the container while binge watching cheesy kung fu movies of the Bruce Lee variety. God I love that man.

Unfortunately, Bruce was going to have to wait in all of his shirtless, butt-kicking glory while I donned some stupid dress I bought probably a decade ago and played nice at the stupid Governor's Annual Ball.

The Governor's Ball was exactly what it sounded like. It was a great big party where all the politicians got to pat themselves on the back at the stellar job they were doing fattening their pockets at the plebeians expense. As if that didn't make the evening fun enough, it also was a time when other influential individuals were invited to wine and dine with the prominent and influential civil servants, allowing shady, backhanded deals to be made in the glamour of a tuxedos and ball gowns. Such a highbrow, elite event had never required my presence before, but due to a recent case against some psycho named Zabuza I was recommended as a potential county prosecutor in a few of the more contentious areas for the next election cycle's ballot. I wasn't sure quite how I felt about my name being on a short list of candidates or if I should be _thankful_ for Tsuande's help of getting me there, but I damn well didn't like the idea of spending a free Saturday rubbing shoulders with crooks and scoundrels. And that's just the politicians.

It was a waste of an evening in my very humble opinion. If I had to do something with work I would have much rather been spending my Saturday looking over the nice pile of evidence Kakashi's dream team had dumped on my desk with an enthusiastic smile from the blonde and an annoyed grunt from the brunette. I didn't like either's attitude, one being a little too much and the other being a dick, but they did good work. And from the little bit I read, Kankuro was keeping his word and preparing us for a bust that would not only get two of the Akutsuki's most notorious terrorists, but also their money guy and one of their executioners. Now if that wasn't enough to make a girl love two obnoxious detectives I don't know what is. But instead of using my time for something worthwhile, like reading the transcripts on a recorded conversation between the twisted monster known as Hidan and his greedy bastard of a partner, Kakuzu, that outlined a little money laundering scheme using a paper company as a guise, I was making my way into one of the trendier clubs in the state's capitol that was filled with fancy dresses and tuxedos of the rich, famous, and powerful.

Puke me.

My feelings on the evening didn't seem to be shared by anyone else. The large, open room was filled with small, high top tables where thin women in beautiful dresses set their clutches and drinks while the men they came with talked business and bragged about their various successes in their designer tuxedos. A few couples swayed on the dance floor to some noise made by a live band that I was told was specialized in jazz, while others used the shadows created by the colored accent lighting to have whispered conversations complete with meaningful handshakes. I immediately spotted Gaara from Suna talking with a large behemoth of a man that I recognized as Kumogakure's district attorney and a few private sector businessmen that I only knew from the papers. A few tables over Tsunade was busy throwing back sake while the governor's wife was animatedly talking, gaining some shrill laughs from some of the other ladies that seemed to flock around the woman.

I had no desire to be drawn into the stupid gossip of rich housewives, or to have to butter up to some of the richer members of the state just for the sake of maintaining a good relationship. I was an assistant district attorney and didn't have to play politics like the DAs or worry about stroking someone's ego. I wasn't in the private sector anymore, either, which meant that about the last thing I wanted to do was mingle with some of the shady bastards that used to be my colleagues and business associates back in my Gato days. Instead I lingered back by the wall, watching the crowd and searched for a waiter so I could follow Tsunade's example and try to recover at least a little bit of my Saturday.

It was about three minutes into this process that I felt the slimy presence of a man I hoped I wasn't going to see tonight. It was like the feeling of cold water being dumped on you in the middle of a crowded restaurant. My skin shivered and the tense discomfort of being watched settled in my gut. It only took a moment to find the pair of dark eyes that belonged to Itachi Uchiha, their razor gaze locked in my direction.

I suppressed a frown, meeting his look with as much cool indifference as I could muster. The damn man looked so smug in his little group of crooked attorneys and businessmen, most of who were rumored to financially benefit from the violence created by the Akatsuki. If I had to guess, I would bet that their wrist watches alone cost more than a year at the best university in the state and that they were probably paid for in money stained with someone's blood. These men were worse than sleezy, grease-balls like Gato. Hell, they were even worse than the idiots that made up the Sound gang since they seemed to target anyone and everyone that had something they wanted rather than just a few groups they had a grudge against. You could be a struggling single mother and they would cut you down if your death meant they had just a little more power or that tiny extra edge that made them practically untouchable. And I hated them for it.

Itachi, of course, fit right in with the sinister company he kept. Everyone knew that he sold out his own family to get ahead, landing him on the fast track to bending the law to keep his powerful clients from ever getting the justice they deserved. I truly believed it was him and his partner, Kisame, that had made it nearly impossible to positively identify who actually ran the Akatsuki mafia. Hell, they made it nearly impossible to even get a conviction on their low level fall guys, making them my number one rivals in this little game we call law.

Even so, it didn't stop the stoic attorney from having that dumb dark, dangerous, and mysterious appeal. His stupid long hair made his stupidly dark eyes look even stupidlier darker. And yes, I know that's not a word, but when it comes to a sleaze like Itachi Uchiha new words needed to be invented. Like there was no way to describe how his calculating stare and his perfectly tailored tux almost made him look handsome despite his clear disregard to any code of ethics whatsoever. I mean come on, you know a guy has sold his soul when he can just give you a blank look and you start thinking about how nicely his clothes fit his trim body. It's not right. Then add in a career built defending murders that had no issues taking down innocents and children and the brief thoughts about his appearance were doubly not right.

God I hated that man.

Thankfully I was saved from having to acknowledge his presence beyond a look by the timely arrival of Tsunade. Deep down, I knew she hated these sorts of things too, minus the free booze that is, but at least she had the background that made navigating these sorts of affairs much easier. Unlike her, I hadn't been brought up in a rich, powerful family with all the privileges that came with it. Where the Senju's drank fine wines and spent weekends at _the club_ , my family called a twelve pack of watered down beer and a lawn chair a garden party. So while she could plaster on a fake smile that didn't look like she had just swallowed a live fish, I used my work face; firm, annoyed, and all together unapproachable.

"Good. You came."

"You told me I had to."

"I didn't expect you to listen."

I bit back any remarks I might have had, using my honed skills of self-preservation to not make my boss disgruntled. "I don't intend to stay long."

"That's fine. Have you met Judge Jiraiya Sennin before?"

"No," I answered, following the brash woman across the dance floor. "I thought he retired years ago."

"He was on sabbatical. Now that he's back there's a good chance that he'll be presiding over any of our big cases."

"So anything that comes from this Suna alliance."

Tsunade nodded as she marched up to a table where a white-haired man unashamedly was staring at a waitress' chest. "Jiraiya, this is one of my assistant attorney's, Shun Kita."

The older man looked up, his eyes trailing up my dress before finally settling on my face. It reminded me of those times when I had to visit the county jail, the low lives howling and catcalling as if they had never seen a woman before. Only instead of being in a grimy, dirty hole filled with criminals, I was standing in a shiny, bright club filled with criminals. So really I shouldn't have been surprised by the blatant sexual harassment and disregard to the social norm of showing a lady respect.

"Ms. Kita," the long-haired man smiled, his hands reaching out and grabbing mine. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Yes, likewise," I answered automatically.

"Tsunade says that you'll be DA here in the next cycle or two."

"She may be over optimistic. I have a less than savory work history that would make me a difficult candidate to support against cleaner opposition."

My boss snorted, crossing her arms over her chest which only acted to draw the old judge's eyes to her very healthy endowments. "Kita, if you do well on these next cases no one will care what you did before becoming a prosecutor. You'll be on the ballot whether you like it or not."

"Oh," Jiriiya smiled, "you have something in the works?"

"We'll see," Tsunade huffed. "If we do you'll be seeing more of Kita I'll wager."

"Don't jinx the woman, Tsunade. We all know how your luck goes with gambling. Remember that time at the resort with all the waterfalls? I think you're still banned from going there."

Kona's DA laughed as the judge started reenacting what seemed to be a young, drunk Tsunade making a fool of herself. I wasn't against hearing about funny, drunken adventures, but I've learned it's better if you don't know these sorts of things about your boss. So instead of listening in to what was breaking down into a series of inside jokes and stories, I halfhearted excuse of needing the restroom and made a bee line for the bar. Again, balls, fancy social outings, and forced interactions really aren't my cup of tea. I had no interest in highbrow affairs or chatting with a group of bimbo wives, pervy old men, or the greedy bastards that made up the state's rich and powerful. No, I was much more interested becoming acquainted with the best friend a girl can have at a stuffy work function; a cold beer and peanuts.

Thankfully the bar had both and seemed to be only visited by the army of waiters and waitresses that were continually refilling drinks. So it was a delight to discover that I could not only drink one beer in peace, but a second and third without anyone but the bartender even looking at me. I was almost thinking that these free-booze work functions weren't so bad when a familiar dark-haired lawyer leaned up to the bar and ordered, of all things, a water. Oh and not just any water, like from the tap or a bottle or something, but some fancy seltzer water that sounded vaguely French and was laced with some sort of awful mix of expensive liquors. Even if I hadn't recognized his voice, I would have known it was Itachi Uchiha who ordered such a ridiculous, annoying drink, which of course sent the bartender scurrying away to find whatever weird things the slimeball had asked for.

I refused to look up from my peanuts, instead meticulously digging through the bowl to find the perfect nut and avoid acknowledging Uchiha's annoying presence. I had fooled myself when I agreed to do his stupid favor, thinking that it was so small he wouldn't be bothering me again outside of normal courtroom interactions. But here he was, after I expressly avoided him and his _meaningful_ looks, sitting only two barstools away. I didn't know what was worse, letting him have the chance to ask for another, bigger favor, or having to deal with every other power-hungry idiot that was in attendance.

"I wanted to thank you," Uchiha said softly, his eyes remaining firmly planted on the wall of liquor in front of him when I snuck a peek in his direction. "You really helped me out."

"One and only time, buddy," I muttered, my friend Mr. Cold and Frothy making my words a little more direct than I would normally allow under regular circumstances.

He smirked, if you could call a small twitch in the corner of his mouth a smirk. "Buddy?"

"Yup. Buddy," I answered, "It's a little more polite than saying _bitch_ , considering that's what you are."

"I'm a bitch?"

"Yes. More specifically, my bitch until I deem my favor fully satisfied."

"I knew there was a reason Kisame always said not to tangle with you," the slimy lawyer answered, his dark eyes meeting mine. "He always said you were ruthless."

"Oh?" I answered, bringing the bottle to my lips and taking a long draft. "And why is that?"

"He never elaborated."

"Smart man," I answered, setting a freshly empty bottle on the bar and scooping up on last mouthful of peanuts. "Now if you don't mind, my sentiments are the same as yesterday. It's best that personal matters are just that."

"Your meaning?"

I could tell by the way he was looking at me, his dark eyes boring into my head like he could read my thoughts or control my actions with something as trivial as a gaze. Unfortunately for him I wasn't in the mood to mince words or meanings. Polite Shun was still at home, lying on her couch watching bad action flicks. Only annoyed, slightly buzzed Shun was here and her tolerance for an indebted man invading her private space was at a minimum.

So I looked at the man that owed me, hoping my smile told him how much I was going to enjoy cashing in. Especially when that payout might get someone like Hidan behind bars. "Our arrangement is of a personal nature, Uchiha. This is a public event and I would hate to have people talk when it comes time for you pay up."

"People here are too concerned with their own affairs to pay any attention to causal talk at a bar."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Either way, I'll respect your wishes," the dark haired man said with a small nod. "Enjoy your evening."

I didn't bother answering. Instead I finished my drink and took one last handful of peanuts before moving into the crowd of people on the dance floor. It was only ten o'clock, but I was done. Being sexually harassed by a judge and then just plain harassed by a lawyer with no soul seemed like plenty of excitement for one evening. With a small wave, I said my goodbyes to Tsunade and quickly made my way to the exit, all while ignoring the icy feeling of eyes watching me walk out the door.


End file.
